Bitter Tears

Chapter Two


Sakura placed her fingers on the cold handle. All she had to do was push open the door; a simple and easy thing to do.

If only that was the truth.

Pressing her forehead against the door, Sakura swallowed the nausea threatening to overwhelm her senses. She did not want to do this. She had nearly begged Tsunade to choose another medic-nin but her words had fallen on deaf ears. Sakura Haruno was the best medic in Konoha. It was her job, and that was that.

Sakura cursed the blonde haired woman under her breath. The Hokage knew…she knew how Sakura felt about Sasuke, but she had still placed him under her care regardless. Her wide eyes narrowed into slits as she fought to control her torrid rage.

Was the Hokage testing her?

Or was it some kind of sick joke?

It had been two days since the Uchiha had returned and as far as she was aware, he was still unconscious. That knowledge however, did not soothe her raw nerves. Eventually he would awaken and she would be the one who would have to tell him everything. Tell him that Naruto had defeated him in battle; that he had been brought back to Konoha and would have to face trial by the village elders. She could already see his proud Uchiha eyes narrowing, his teeth gritting, and bruised body rising to leave.

Sakura nearly laughed at how ironic it would be if he left again with her staring at his back.
Would she cry this time?

Would he whisper thank you in her ear, knock her unconscious, and leave? She remembered how hard she had trained for him, bled for him. How much she craved his recognition and how she had adored him so. A glance, a smirk was all it took and she was lost. She would have done anything for him, surrendered all her being.

Sakura’s resolve hardened. She wouldn’t allow herself to care about him. It would be better if he left. She would not try to stop him.

Not again.

Never again.

Curling her long fingers around the handle, Sakura set her face to a neutral blank and calm expression before pushing open the door to enter the room.

The sound of her shoes echoed against the tiled floor as she approached the bed opposite of her. Her stomach muscles clenched as she saw his head of jet black hair resting on stark white pillows. A pale arm rested above the bed covers with tubes and needles protruding from the wrist and elbow. The rest of her patient’s body laid beneath the crisp hospital sheets.

Sakura realized she wasn’t breathing. She was afraid that if she made any noise it would cause him to stir and wake. Even though she could tell you more than 500 medical reasons why it was in no way possible, her nerves remained frayed. She hated that she had to be the one doing this, hated it. Allowing her gaze to slide up the length of Sasuke’s still body, Sakura felt her mouth go dry as her eyes settled on his face.

Beautiful, he was so incredibly beautiful. Even though his face was swollen and bruised, he still looked devastatingly handsome. Long thick lashes lay heavy on porcelain skin, thick pink lips were parted in a painfully teasing way, and his face had become more masculine over the years. Heat filled her cheeks as her eyes moved to his mouth once again, why did he have to be so perfect? Why did he still affect her like this?

She wanted to scream, wanted to punch the already injured man through the wall. He had no right to have a face like that. Not when so much venom lay beneath it. He had no right to make her body burn and her cheeks flush at the sight of him. No right at all.

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. She wasn’t a foolish girl anymore. She wouldn’t let him affect her. Under the alluring façade lay a dark and cruel man. The one who had broken and damaged her in particular. It mattered not if she found his exterior to be attractive. Appearances were deceiving and Sakura would not fall victim to him once again.

Reaching out her hand, she snapped up the chart that held Sasuke’s stats and current health. Her emerald eyes scanned the paper quickly before she placed it back down. It seemed as though his recovery was going to be a slow process. His wounds were deep and severe; they would take a large amount of time and care to heal properly. Sakura’s lips pursed at the thought that she would be the one to heal him. It would consume a lot of her time and meant that she would have to be in Sasuke’s presence frequently.

Looking down at the beautiful man, Sakura found herself moving to the bed…her hand reaching out. It hovered over Sasuke’s forehead before moving to his cheek and then his shoulder. Her fingers curled hesitantly wondering whether they should touch the exposed skin. She would have to make physical contact with him eventually. It was her job to keep his wounds clean and his bandages fresh.

Dizziness bombarded Sakura’s senses at the idea of touching Sasuke; bathing his wounds and healing him with her chakra. It was a thought she’d rather avoid for now. Moving away from the bed Sakura fought back her conflicting emotions whilst cursing Tsunade for putting her in this position. Massaging the dull ache that had formed between her temples, Sakura observed the body before her once again before speaking in a voice just above a whisper.

“Can you dream in peace now Sasuke? Can you truly return to us, the person you once were?”

The pink haired medic-nin turned to leave, promising herself that she would return in an hour to check on his stats, but the distinctive sound of a struggling gasp caught her attention. Turning back towards the bed Sakura’s mouth widened in horror as she saw Sasuke’s eyes twitch and then slowly begin to open.

His eyes seemed to glaze over at first but quickly began to focus in her direction. As Sasuke’s dark stare settled on her body Sakura felt time come to a halt. He was awake? Oh god, he was awake!

“Sa…Sakura?”

The sound of her name coming from his lips felt like ice on her senses. Sasuke was conscious. He knew who she was and would soon become aware on his location. Stepping towards the bed Sakura prayed that her face did not betray her panic.

“Sasuke.” His name was a soft whisper from her lips. It reminded her of how a lover would speak. Frowning, she pulled on a mask of professionalism. She was a nurse and Sasuke was her patient…that was all.

“Sasuke. Do you know where you are?” Dark eyes swept across the room before narrowing in confusion. A throaty murmur was drawn from his lips before obsidian eyes closed and he slipped once again into unconsciousness, leaving Sakura feeling on edge and strangely disappointed.


~ * ~


“He said your name?”

Kicking a rock from her path Sakura nodded silently.

“Does he remember what happened? Can I go and see him?” Sighing, the medic-nin ran a hand through her long silky hair before turning around to her friend.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea right now Naruto. Sasuke was only awake for a few moments and besides his condition is still unstable.”

Watching as Naruto’s shoulders sagged in defeat, Sakura felt her heart ache for the blonde. She didn’t need to be psychic to know what Naruto was thinking. He was blaming himself for Sasuke’s injuries. He was the one who had unleashed the nine tailed fox demon on him and he was the reason why Sasuke was in a critical condition. Placing a comforting hand on Naruto’s shoulder, Sakura wished she could take away his pain; the pain that Sasuke was causing him once again.

“Please don’t blame yourself for this Naruto. It‘s not your fault.” The words didn’t sound like much but Sakura knew they were filled with sincerity. In the past few years she had developed a deep affection for the rash blonde. They had been through so much together; she couldn’t wish for a better friend. As Naruto lifted his head Sakura forced a smile to her face trying to lighten the mood.

“Sakura?”

“Yes?”

“We’ve been through a lot haven’t we? I mean, ever since we were kids we’ve always been by each other’s side. Fought together, bled together.” The words caused Sakura to frown. It wasn’t like Naruto to speak in such a serious tone. It seemed a polar opposite from his usual cheery self.

“Naruto?”

“You would never lie to me would you Sakura?”

His question confused her. Of course she would never lie to him. Why would he ask such a thing?

“Never Naruto.”

Her friend’s wide eyes shimmered slightly before moving their gaze away from her. His brow was furrowed and his jaw firmly set. It was strange, but she had never noticed how much Naruto had matured into a man. Maybe she had just never taken the time to look.

“I’m glad Sasuke is back Sakura. Even if he’s black and blue and unconscious I’m still glad.” Naruto’s eyes settled on a nest of birds before he continued.

“I know that he hurt you and betrayed your trust, he did the same to me. Overnight he seemed to change from a friend we all loved to the person he is now. But I won’t let that stop me from believing that our Sasuke is still somewhere inside. He’s my friend Sakura. I need you to understand this, please.”

The desperate plea that was hidden in Naruto’s voice was a painful thing for her to hear. Even after so long he still hoped that their Sasuke was still alive. It was a nice hope to have but that was all it was….a hope. Sakura however, wouldn’t be the one to tarnish her friend’s dreams with thoughts like that. Instead she just nodded and smiled. It was all she could do.

“Okay Naruto, I understand.”

A brilliant grin suddenly flourished on the blondes tanned face before he threw an arm around her shoulders.
“Thank you Sakura! Just you watch I’ll prove to you I’m right. Sasuke is still in there somewhere I know it.”

Allowing Naruto to guide her through the streets of Kohana whilst he chattered happily about their childhood days as team seven, Sakura felt her heart lurch and twist.